Kresta in the Afternoon

In a recent interview about the death of Queen Elizabeth, CNN’s Dom Lemon asked his guest about the crown paying reparations out of its immense wealth. Her response – and his reaction – are a telling example of what happens when media pundits allow themselves to be surrounded with only those who share their opinions. Al discusses.

In his Second letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul writes that when we see the Glory of the Lord, we are “transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another, for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.” This study of the supernatural life is formally known as ascetical theology. We dive into this spiritual life with Fr. Jeff Kirby.

In April 1966 Time Magazine published a cover boldly asking if God was dead. More than 50 years later, we can certainly see how Western society has become more and more secuarlized. But the continued influence of religion, especially Christianity, on American history and culture has been profound. We take a look with Thomas Kidd.

St Jerome is well known as a doctor of the Church, for his many writings on the Christian Moral Life, and especially for his work to translate the Old Testament from Hebrew. He was also a highly complex character who often clashed with his contemporary thinkers. On his feast day, we look at his life and writings with Dr Thomas Scheck.

Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams recently claimed that "There is no such thing as a heartbeat at six weeks. It is a manufactured sound designed to convince people that men have the right to take control of a woman's body." We talk about this story with Clare Kosmalski.

Bishop Carlos Belo of East Timor has been accused of sexually abusing several teenage boys. Belo, now age 74, came to international attention in the 1990s for his outspoken role in protesting the Indonesian occupation of his country. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996 for his efforts. A report features several men who claimed they were sexually abused by him as teenagers dating back to the 1980s. Matthew Bunson has the details.

“Religion has caused more war and violence than anything else! Just look at the Crusades, the wars in post-Reformation Europe, and the rise of Jihadist attacks!” If you dialogue with atheists, you’ve probably heard this charge. Is there any truth to it? How should you respond? Al discusses.

The victory of Girorgia Meloni and her Brothers of Italy party in Italy’s recent election has made global headlines. She won on a platform that supports traditional families, national identity, and an opposition to the LGBT Lobby. Her critics have already begun fretting that she could open the door to a return of fascism to Italy. What do we know? Kishore Jayabalan joins us.

Brother Andrew, the man who smuggled Bibles into closed Communist countries, has died at the age of 94. Al reviews his life and legacy.